perge

By way of an update, I have my first real complaint about Peapod. I realized at 8:15 tonight (15min after the order "deadline") that I had not completed an order I arranged for tomorrow, and had only $52 worth of items. So, for the first time in 2 years, I called to cancel the order. They were going to charge a $50 restocking fee!!! I argued with them for a few minutes and as a 'courtesy' they dropped the fee....but I thought it worth warning anyone else who might use them. The email generated when the order is complete, by the way, says that "If you cancel your order or if no one is available to accept your delivery, you may be charged a fee." It appears that Peapod interprets that as you "will" be charged an "exorbitant" fee.

Yikes...now I feel cheap! My orders are usually in the $175 range and I generally give them $5 unless the weather is really bad or something. I look at it less like tipping on service in a restaurant (i.e. as a % of sale) and more like getting a furniture delivery, where I'd just give $10 or $20 to each guy. When I get big grocery deliveries just before Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter, I usually give $20. Most of the Peapod guys have the reaction you describe--they are genuinely surprised to get any tip. Sometimes I wonder if it's a midwestern thing--on multiple occasions, I've had repairmen/deliverymen refuse a tip. Odd to me, since I'm from NY....where no tip has been turned down, ever, as far as I know!! Anyway, if I tipped, say 10% on the order, I'd worry less about being cheap but I don't think I could justify using them anymore! Between the delivery fee and their higher cost, I guess I'd be surprised if any regular person could do that. Of course now I feel guilty, like I've publicly outed myself as a cheapskate!!!

I use them somewhat regularly. We have a large family, my husband has long hours, etc... so the convenience factor is a huge benefit for me. So much so that I generally close my eyes and try not to think about what I would save if I went to Dominicks myself. I try to buy the sale items as often as possible and that seems to help. Also, it is MUCH easier for me to avoid impulse buys with Peapod, so that evens things out a bit. And I rarely forget ingredients b/c I have my cookbooks/lists right beside me. But really, the time savings is what is key for me....shopping and putting away groceries used to take hours each week....now I use the time I would have spent at the store to clean out the fridge so it is ready to accept what I have ordered. As to quality, I have found all their produce to be excellent. Leaps and bounds better than Jewel and generally a little nicer than Dominicks. I can think of only two occasions I was unhappy with something I received...moldy berries and cut flowers past their prime. Each time, I called customer service and was credited, no muss no fuss. Deliveries have always been prompt and polite, too. They oftentimes have $2 off delivery coupons, as well (though that may be for orders over $100, I can't recall specifically). Again, I am the kind of customer they love, b/c I'd still use them even without the coupon! Using them gives me hours back each week and helps me keep the household better organized.

Sorry to resurrect such an old topic..... does anyone have any recent experience with "nez du vin" or a competing product (there's one called "Bacchanale" that seems significantly cheaper) they can share? Are they worth the money? Are they worth the time? They seem gimmicky, and there doesn't appear to be tons of discussion about them in mainstream wine circles (at least on the web), but I'm intrigued nonetheless. Thanks in advance....

There is a (feeble) defense to be made of the Food + Wine Festival "booths". Our WDW trips are with our three kids (6 + under), so eating at a nice sit-down restaurant can't happen every night. Given the choice, then, among over-priced "fast-food" options, the 50-60 sample-size foods + 50-60 sample wines in the booths are often the best bets. And the free wine "seminars" (more often than not marketing speeches by winery reps) are not bad, either, for those (like me) who wish to exercise their comparative wine-tasting muscles at low (no!) cost. As far as the restaurants go, another vote for California Grill. It's one of the few places on property we'd go to even if it were home (NY) as opposed to in a family vacation spot, and it's phenomenally kid-friendly. Good luck getting a great meal in NYC at a place where it is appropriate to bring three young children. Flying Fish and Jiko are one level below CG, although I'd hoped that the new chef would have made a more radical break than he has-- the menu is getting a bit predictable, and doesn't stand up to multiple trips as well as CG or even Jiko. Steve Klc-- sorry we'll miss your contributions at this year's festival. We may get babysitting for the Oct 24 Party of the Senses, but will be shuffling the little ones around the booths when you're there.